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  New Files Show Paquin Victim Abused by 2 Priests

By Robin Washington
Boston Herald
January 15, 2004

In an emotional confession to the Herald two years ago, the Rev. Ronald Paquin admitted molesting boys for years in a cycle of abuse that began when Paquin - now serving a 12- to 15-year sentence - was abused by his mentor, the late Rev. Bernard St. Hiliare.

Yet one of Paquin's victims was also molested by the older priest, according to a settlement cited in Superior Court documents filed by a law firm yesterday naming 30 accused priests, including some not previously made public.

"He was repeatedly sexually abused by (both priests)," attorney Sander S. Lederman wrote to Bernard Cardinal Law of his client, who settled with the church before the current scandal for $ 20,000.

Files were also released on:

- The Rev. Real Bourque, who, reassigned by Humberto Cardinal Medeiros after allegations in 1981, continued in ministry until admitting abusing teens in the 1990s.

- The Rev. John Chaisson, who a Danvers police chief said admitted to child sexual assault in 1974 and remained in ministry until 1993. The file includes a cryptic notation, "The super secret number is 5445."

- The Rev. Frederick Guthrie, formerly of St. Anne's Parish in Gloucester, arrested in November 2001 for soliciting a minor for sex after allegedly using the Internet to solicit a person he thought was a 15-year-old boy.

- The Rev. Robert Knapp, accused of having a "father-son" relationship with a child, sexual misconduct with three women and hundreds of incidents with a victim between 1979 to 1984.

- The Rev. Anthony Vasaturo, who allegedly admitted to sexual activity beginning in 1969 with a 16-year-old female.

Though files were released on the Revs. Robert Kirchmeyer, Anthony Ngwumohaike and William M. Walsh, the three remain in service because allegations were either anonymous or withdrawn, church spokesman the Rev. Christopher Coyne said.

 
 

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